Mixed Darkness
by Chrysan
Summary: The fun starts as Voldemort starts to rise to power. Remus Lupin, is sought after by both Aurors and Death Eaters. Echizen Ryoma, is on the run from the Fuji Clan, or is he?Slash. DISCONTINUED.
1. Prologue

Title: Mixed Darkness

Type: AU, fantasy, supernatural

Series: Harry Potter, Prince of Tennis (the list will go on)

Warnings: Slash, violence, full spoilers for all series

Pairings: (not telling yet) ^^

Disclaimers: All characters in this story do not belong to me, only the plot of this fanfic does.

Author's notes: Um…I guess this will probably become one major crossover. The focus will still remain on Harry Potter and Prince of Tennis (more of the latter, btw). The other series involved as this story goes on will probably just be 'guest appearances' only. ^^ Please read and review, I appreciate feedback.

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~Prologue~

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The sky rumbled, and the air was heavily touched with the scent of dampness. The door opened and closed, and the lightning flashed in the instant the door was momentarily ajar, throwing the features of the figure standing at the doorway into sharp relief. The figure was a man with shoulder-length hair of a soft brown that was greying quite evidently, yet despite the careworn expression on his face, he was still clearly a man in his mid-twenties. 

As the man closed the door to the world outside, he put down the suitcase held in his right hand and sifted through his damp hair with the other. Waving a hand negligently, a small flame sparked onto the candle in the middle of the room, on a low coffee table. The light was extremely weak, not even enough to brighten the entire table itself.

          " You're back?" the man spoke into the darkness. His tone seemed rather surprised, and he made to move towards the only other person in the room, which his acute senses had detected the moment he returned.

" I could say the same for you." Came the quiet reply. The voice was one of a boyish one, yet it held a mature tone of authority. " I've been here for 3 days already, so you're the one who should be considered 'back'."

" I see. That's true, I supposed." The man sounded rather amused now. " Well, that couldn't be helped. I got 'invited' for a little chat."

          " Again?" The other person sounded exasperated. " Who kidnapped you this time?"

" Kidnapped?" The man's amusement seemed to increase. " Oh no, it wasn't kidnap at all. We just had a nice chat, that's all. Of course, my conversationalists were…very understanding."

The other person snorted his opinion openly. " I suppose that's true," he replied. " Nobody could ever hold you hostage for long."

" But," he added disapprovingly, " you must be slipping, to take such a long time to come back. It's full moon soon, you should know that."

" I know," the man sounded tired now. " It's because I met a Death Eater on the way. It wasn't easy for me to shake him off."

" Why didn't you kill him?" the other asked, his tone cool. " Maybe that'll teach them to leave you alone."

The man sighed. " You know that it won't work," he replied. " Besides, I don't really like to kill."

The man sank into a chair somewhere in the dark room. The thunder was rumbling ominously, and even through the thick curtains, the sound of the pouring rain was not at all muffled.

" Then it's really your own fault that you are stalked so often, Remus." The other sounded boredly unsympathetic.

" I don't suppose you have a better way?" the man replied coolly. " I hope you'll excuse me for the whole of next day, though. I need my rest."

Even in the dim light, the man's sharp eyes saw that a smirk was curving on the other's lips.

" Heh. Mada mada dane."

~TBC~


	2. Chapter 1

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~Chapter 1~

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Series: Harry Potter, Saiyuki, Tenipuri

Warnings: Slash, violence, probably some unintended OOC-ness and full spoilers for all series

Disclaimers: All characters in this story do not belong to me, only the plot of this fanfic does.

Author's Notes: Well, I'm sure that this is going to take me a long time to complete~ ^^;;;

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          The man bowed low. " I'm afraid we have failed, My Lord," he stammered fearfully to the figure sitting in the middle of the circle. Like all the rest in the eerily lit room, he was dressed in a long, black robe. Unlike them, however, he was not hooded.

          " Failed?" the figure sitting on the high chair looked hideous, with extremely pale skin, and a pair of narrow slits for eyes that were glowing an unnatural red. His voice was soft, and filled with a cruel malice in his tone when he spoke. A long snake coiled near by his feet, eyeing the still-bowing man coldly, hissing as well.

          " My Lord," the man said in a pleading voice, " please forgive me. The cursed werewolf was more cunning than we had thought. We had been really sure to catch him off guard and deliver him to you."

          " Well, it seems that you've underestimated the werewolf again, Avery," another man, who was hooded as well, said in a silky voice. "Surely, after so many times, you should have had enough experience to catch a werewolf."

          The man, Avery, glanced in the direction at the man who spoke. " If it was any other werewolf, it would have been easy," he replied. " But Remus Lupin is no ordinary werewolf. Otherwise, why would our Master desire for him to join us? I don't believe that you'd have had any better luck in catching him either, Malfoy."

          Lucius Malfoy walked slowly to the front of their Master and bowed low as well, throwing his hood off. " Master," he said respectfully. " Let me take care of the werewolf, since Avery obviously can't accomplish such an easy task. I will deliver him straight to you without fail."

          Avery darted him an angry, nervous look. " Master, please give me one more chance," he hurriedly said. " I am perfectly sure that the werewolf will not escape this time."

          " This is the tenth time you have failed," the figure coolly answered. " This is a bad example set to my other Death Eaters, Avery. Very bad, indeed. Yet you still ask for another chance? Lord Voldemort does not forgive failure so easily, Avery."

          " My lord," another short, hooded figure whispered hesitantly, as he hobbled forward. " My lord, if I may speak…."

          Voldemort smiled mirthlessly, and flicked his empty left hand negligently. " Speak then, Wormtail," he commanded coldly. " But know that if your words displease me, suffer the consequences from my wrath."

          Peter Pettigrew, otherwise known as Wormtail, swallowed nervously. " My lord," he began slowly, nervously. " Avery has indeed failed in his task too many times, but as he has said, Remus Lupin is no ordinary werewolf. Perhaps if I and Lucius assisted him, it would be much easier to capture Lupin."

          Lucius Malfoy glanced coolly at Wormtail. " Master," he cut in abruptly. " It would be easier for me to finish this task alone. I'm afraid that with Wormtail and Avery, I'd be delayed even further. Surely it is more important to have Lupin on our side before he is convinced to join others?"

          Voldemort considered the proposal, fixing his glowing red eyes on Lucius carefully. " You are right, my slippery friend," he rumbled intensely in agreement. " Very well, then. I will entrust this task upon you. Do not fail me as Avery did, Lucius."

          Lucius bowed low again, with a pleased smile on his face. " It shall be as you say, Master," he replied.

          " But my Lord!" Wormtail seemed determined to have the last word. " At least, let me assist him!" he begged. If he could participate in this mission, he would have his share of reward if the capture were successful. If it failed, Lucius Malfoy would be the one to take most of the blame. Either way, it was ideal for him.

          Voldemort turned his gaze to Wormtail, who cowered slightly under his scrutiny. The Dark Lord smiled another mirthless smile, and nodded slowly, tapping a finger at the same time. "Since you are so interested, Wormtail," he said, " Then do so."

          Wormtail looked delighted, and bowed several times. " Thank you, my Lord," he breathed. " Be assured that I will not fail you!"

          " Before you leave however," Voldemort added. " Severus will accompany you in this task as well, to ensure that the werewolf will be brought to me more easily. Do not harm the werewolf unnecessarily, just drug him."

          Severus Snape stepped forward. " I thank you for providing me this opportunity, My Lord," he bowed low as well, his voice soft and oily, as usual.

          " Go then, bring the werewolf, Remus Lupin to me." Voldemort commanded coldly, waving his hand.

          Upon dismissal, the three Death Eaters apparated away instantly, leaving the much-chagrined Avery behind without any further ado.

          " As for you Avery," Voldemort's expression twisted into a cruel smirk. " You will receive your due punishment. Know that Lord Voldemort does not forgive failures or mistakes easily."

          Avery's complexion turned ashen as the Dark Lord's wand pointed towards him.

          "_Crucio!"_

*******

          " So, you are the infamous half-demon that's extremely resourceful and sells information for a living," the person who spoke had a soft, mild voice. His tone was pleasant, just like the slight smile on his face. All in all, he looked absolutely harmless, gentle and forgiving in nature.

          The man leaning into his chair, with his legs propped up on his desk was not fooled by his appearance. He took a deep drag from his cigarette before speaking. " That's right," he replied in a drawling tone. " But I'd like to remind you that any information I sell comes with a heavy price, High Mage Fuji Syuusuke."

          The smile on Fuji's face widened slightly, not at all bothered by the fact that he was recognized so easily. If this half-demon could recognize him, it would mean that he was indeed as capable as rumored. The information he could get from this half-demon would be invaluable in aiding his search.

          " That is to be expected, Mr. Sha Gojyo," he agreed calmly. " Name your price now, Mr. Sha, and let us conduct and finish our business quickly. My search is urgent."

          Sha Gojyo narrowed his red eyes as he scrutinized the smiling, placid expression on Fuji. The way this High Mage smiled reminded him eerily of an old friend he had kept in contact, but not met in quite a while. Both were always smiling seemingly harmlessly, always pleasant and friendly when speaking.

          " Ch." Gojyo extinguished his cigarette by pressing it into the half-filled ashtray on the table. /_Both of them also share the same lethalness under that serene façade as well, eh? /_

" Tell me what you want to know then," he absently drummed his fingers on the desk after removing his legs from it. " The price paid will vary according to what you ask."

          Fuji's smile never wavered, but now his expression changed subtly as he opened his eyes and stared at Gojyo. After a moment of contemplation, he seemed to come with a decision within himself.

          " I want to know about the whereabouts of a vampire," he spoke softly. " How much would that cost?"

          Noting the change on the expression of Fuji immediately, Gojyo smirked. " It'll be expensive," he informed, somewhat interested now. It wasn't everyday a High Mage would look for a vampire, much less a Fuji. After all, the Fujis were an esteemed, well-respected ancient family who were renowned for the powerful magic they possessed. Like most powerful clans, the Fuji clan was an enigma to most. It was rather odd for Fuji Syuusuke, the currently strongest mage among the young generation of the Fuji clan, to come to look for him, one who belonged to the underworld, for information. Surely the Fuji clan had their sources that were probably as good as he was?

          " A vampire," Gojyo continued to muse, never taking his eyes off Fuji. " Surely the Fuji clan would easily provide you with information you want? Vampires are difficult to gain information about, true, but I believe that the sources of the Fuji clan would still be capable of bringing you what you want to know."

          Still keeping his piercing blue eyes open, Fuji returned the scrutiny with an implacable stare of his own. " It is a personal matter which I do not wish to involve the Main Family," he offered as an explanation of his reasons. " To have them know about this would just waste my time and complicate matters."

          Gojyo shrugged. "Fine," he accepted the explanation readily. " Give me the name of the vampire then, and I'll tell you the fee after that."

          Fuji fell silent, as though suddenly hesitant. He was naturally wary of this half-demon, even though his reputation about confidentiality was solid. He had not been lying when he said that it would complicate matters if anything about this leaked out into the ears of the Fuji clan.

          In the silence, Gojyo waited patiently. He was used to it already, the hesitance of his clients, that was. Besides, he could understand it too, though had it been any other, he would probably have taunted them for hesitating. Despite his gentle exterior, Fuji Syuusuke was not one to be trifled with. He had no wish to bring unnecessary trouble from a Fuji, for the moment.

          " Echizen Ryoma," Fuji finally said. " The vampire's name is Echizen Ryoma."

*******

          " Is he still sleeping?" the person who had spoken first among the trio in the room had his eyes closed. He was idly tapping his cap against the armrests of the couch, looking very relaxed.

          " Yes, he is." There was a soft rustling sound of a page turning. The second person who replied was scribbling intently on his notebook.

          " What are you back for?" the question was direct, and almost rude. The third, final of the trio in the room, had a slightly disgruntled expression as he glanced over at the second person.

          " I live here too." Came the calm reply. The speaker stopped scribbling though, and he closed his notebook, adjusting his square-framed glasses at the same time with a satisfied smile.

          A long, soft hiss. " You are certainly bold for one who has left for so long without keeping contact."

          " Not that you'd care." The tone was faintly curious now. " You mean you were worried for me?"

          " Ssssssssss………" The speaker fell silent, seemingly embarrassed.

          The second person smiled in a pleased manner to himself. " Why Kaidoh," he said in a slightly teasing tone. " I didn't know you cared that much about me."

          Kaidoh scowled and looked away, but he didn't refute the statement. " What happened to Remus?" he asked, glowering slightly as he changed the topic.

          " He got ambushed by Death Eaters on his way back," replied the first person, who opened his almond-shaped, cat-like eyes as he spoke. " It was near full moon, so it took more than usual of his energy to shake them off."

          " I see." The second person opened his notebook and scribbled more. " According to my research, this ambush must have been quite elaborate, to be able to exhaust Remus to this point. And since it has failed, there is a 90% chance that Lucius Malfoy will take over the operation to capture Remus instead of Avery. There is also a high percentage probability of 85% that Severus Snape will be sent along by Voldemort to assist him."

          The short analysis brought blank looks from the other two.

          " Except for the name Voldemort, I don't know who you're talking about, Inui," the first person informed. Kaidoh made an agreeing noise, and then hissed disinterestedly.

          Inui looked amused. " Not surprising," he said. " Considering that it's you two that I'm talking to."

          The first person turned to glare at Inui. " It doesn't matter who they are, anyway," he coolly retorted. " I told Remus that he should've killed them, but he was too soft-hearted."

          Inui and Kaidoh looked slightly surprised at the last statement. " You're unusually bloodthirsty, Echizen," Inui noted, opening his notebook again, with pencil poised ready. " Did anything happen to you before you returned?"

          There was a long pause at the question. " Nothing happened," came the evasive reply.

          " Really." Inui was not fooled. Although they were not exactly close at all, his fine observation skills told him many things, things that many tried to evade discussing, things that many tried to avoid. It wasn't as though he was a busybody(that was an insulting term to him, by the way), but collecting data from his observations was always useful and interesting, after all. Not to say that it was very fun as well to watch his opponents and friends alike to squirm when they find out about the data he collected from them.

          Flipping through his notebook, he scanned the information he had collected, trying to find out what was wrong. If he could, it would perhaps bring him more good data to collect, and even provide him with some entertainment.

          " Ah," he stopped at a page. Grinning slyly now, he said, " Someone's been scouting information for your whereabouts, Echizen. He must be good, for not even I could break through and find out this person's identity. Any idea who it is?"

          " You couldn't find out who the person was?" Kaidoh looked slightly startled. After all, it was the 'Data Man' they were talking about here.

          " Yes," Inui answered calmly. "But I could speculate who that person is, and the chances of my speculation to be accurate are high. A 90% probability."

          The glare directed at Inui warning him to shut up was very pointed now. But long used to such menacing looks(people always gave him death threats, death glares, etc.), Inui merely continued speaking in an unperturbed manner.

          " Would you like me to tell you who I think that person is?" Inui's grin could only be described by one word now – evil.

          " Shut up." The tone was ominous now.

          " I'd like to know," a new voice interrupted. The newcomer had opened the door silently and left it slightly ajar. No wonder none in the room had detected his presence. Of course, that could be blamed on their lack of being alert enough, but the occupants seldom felt the need to feel tense or on their guard while they were in the house. This was one of the few places where they could properly rest and relax.

          " Good evening, Remus," Inui greeted the newcomer, noting that though the latter still seemed rather careworn, his eyes showed that he was refreshed from sleep and much more alert now. " I see that sleep has improved you considerably."

          Remus Lupin nodded. " Someone's looking for you, Ryoma?" he asked the now sullen-looking boy on the couch.

          Echizen Ryoma scowled slightly. " Who knows?" was all he deigned to offer as a reply.

          Kaidoh hissed at Ryoma's insolence. But though he was curious as well, he chose to remain silent. It'd be much easier to wait for Inui to reveal the answer.

          Remus turned patiently to Inui instead. " So, who is it?" he asked.

          Inui grinned again. Pushing his glasses, an evil gleam flashed behind them. " From the looks of it," he replied, " I'd say that the Fuji clan is searching for Echizen."

          " I see." Remus glanced back at Ryoma contemplatively. " I'd like to know how you crossed paths with Fuji Syuusuke, Ryoma."

          The resident vampire of the house scowled even more blackly. There was no escape for him this time, he knew. Looking annoyed, he replaced his cap before he started being interrogated by Remus. From *his* looks of it, this was going to be a boring and tiresome night.

~TBC~

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Author's Remarks:

Well, many of you may find Remus rather OOC, but I'd like to say that this is an AU fic, where Remus would have different life experiences. So, this is how I pictured Remus would be like if he lived a different life instead. Hopefully, my characterization for other characters is good enough. ^_^ Please read and review, ne.

And A-chan, I'm sorry to say that it's not Nanjiroh. Hope I didn't disappoint you too much. ^^;;;

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	3. Chapter 2

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~Chapter 2~

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Series: Harry Potter, Saiyuki, Count Cain, Tenipuri

Warnings: Slash, violence, probably some unintended OOC-ness and full spoilers for all series

Disclaimers: All characters in this story do not belong to me, only the plot of this fanfic does.

Author's Notes: Well, I finally managed to update this fic. ^^;;; Took me a long time cos I had a writer's block halfway. Hope you like it, Kirui. ^^

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          Remus Lupin strolled through Radrain Town quietly, inconspicuously. Unusually, he had chose to come to do some shopping in this town in the day, and was in no hurry to return either. It had been a week since the last full moon, and he felt that it was more than enough for rest already.

          The 'Day' of Radrain was quite different from the 'Night'. And by that sentence, he did not mean in terms of time only. Shops and places belonging to the 'Day' were the surface that most of the ordinary saw, while those that belonged to the 'Night' were quite the opposite. However, you had to be really good, or by really bad or good luck, to actually spot the 'Night' of Radrain. Government officers, ministers and Aurors had long tried to totally put an end to the 'Night', but to no avail. Whoever had created and ruled Radrain Town was not only clever, but also cunning and certainly underhand as well.

Like the rest of the tenants of the mansion they lived in together, Remus liked Radrain. It was full of intrigue, and it seemed to Remus that Radrain had a habit of having a double-side to everything found in it. Like the three apothecaries found in Radrain. Two of the three were unorthodox, and almost illegal, while the third was a very normal one, which usually had schooling wizards and witches, everyday housewife-witches, etc. for customers.

          And Remus Lupin, landlord of a certain mansion inhabited by eccentric tenants, unqualified full-wizard and a Merged werewolf, decided then, as he passed by a large ice-cream parlour, he would visit one of the "unorthodox" apothecaries. After all, Inui had asked him a favor to help replenish his stock of potion ingredients, as he was too busy experimenting with his new potion to go downtown himself.

          Besides, Remus mused, as he turned and disappeared into a narrow alley that was only a short way from the ice-cream parlour, that it was about time to remind his acquaintances in Radrain that despite the fact that he had been absent for about 2 months, he was still alive.

          With that single cheerful thought, Remus smiled faintly to himself as he walked down a dimly lit and almost hidden stretch of stairs. He paused at the door at the bottom of the stairs to stare at the sign above it, and then stepped through the door as though it did not exist. The door shimmered.

          " Well, hello, Riff, Cain," Remus's pleasant greeting drifted faintly through the non-existent door. " Long time no see."

          As the sound of his voice faded away, so did the door's shimmering. Outside the barrier of the door, all was eerily silent once more.

          _Poison Manor_.

          Those were the only two words on the sign above.

*****

          Sirius Black narrowed his eyes in surprise as he saw an unexpected figure pass by the window he was sitting at. His companion, who was a fifteen-year-old boy sitting directly in front of him, paused in the motion to eat his sundae and stared at Sirius in vague puzzlement instead.

          " What're you staring at, Sirius?" Harry Potter, only son of James and Lily Potter, asked.

          Sirius turned his attention back to Harry and shook his head. " It's nothing," he replied shortly. They were in the famous and only ice-cream Parlour of Radrain Town, Kawamura's. It was a very warm afternoon, so Sirius decided to bring Harry here to have a sundae or two as they waited for James and Lily to return.

          " It must have been something, or someone in particular," Harry persisted, watching Sirius carefully as he scooped his sundae into his mouth. " You looked too intense to be staring into space."

          " Well, you're right," Sirius conceded. " But unless I want Lily to come after me, I can't tell you. And I don't particularly want to lie to you, either."

          " I'm already fifteen, Sirius," Harry fumed. " I'm old enough to know about such things already!"

          Sirius shrugged. Giving Harry a lazy smile, he replied calmly, " That's up to your parents to decide, Harry, not me. Of course, if it were me, I'd tell you."

          " Tell him what?" a new voice interrupted cheerfully.

          " Dad!" Harry exclaimed in half-surprise and half-guilt.

          " Finished, James?" Sirius inquired nonchalantly.

          James Potter nodded. " Lily's already at the hotel," he replied. " Come on, let's go now."

          Harry looked peeved. " Sirius saw someone, Dad," he reported, in hopes that his father would allow him to share in some secrets. " He was just going to tell me about it. Now that you're here, he can tell you as well."

          Sirius laughed, eyeing Harry with mild approval. " Good try, that," he commented.

          " So, who was it?" James put an arm around his son affectionately.

          Taking James' question as permission to allow Harry to know some things, Sirius answered, " I thought I saw Remus Lupin passing by the ice-cream Parlour we were in just now."

          Harry widened his eyes. " Remus Lupin? The werewolf wanted by the Aurors?" he asked hopefully without thinking.

          James narrowed his eyes. " You eavesdropped on us again, huh?" he said, without much surprise. Harry was his son, after all.

          Flushing in guilt and embarrassment at revealing himself so carelessly, Harry nodded. Much as his father was easy-going and fun to be with, Harry never dared to try to fool him, especially when it came to serious matters. Despite the fact that Lily was supposed to be the strict disciplinarian in the Potter family, James was the one that was really merciless when it came to dealing punishments.

          Sirius grinned. " Sharp, isn't he?" he noted. " Just like you were in our younger days. He'll become a brilliant Auror like you, if he wants to be one when he grows up."

          Glowing with pride at his father's best friend's compliment, Harry looked up at James eagerly. " I do want to be an Auror, Dad," he voiced. " Just like you, and Sirius," he added.

          This time, it was James who laughed. " Then you still have a lot to learn yet, Harry," he said, as they walked off to the hotel Lily was waiting in for them.

******

          Fuji Yuuta, only younger brother of High Mage Fuji Syuusuke, wore a rather grim look as he walked through the streets of Radrain Town. If fact, anyone would, if they had traveled hard on foot for a fortnight without stopping at all.

          Yuuta was tired, hungry, dirty, dusty, and most of all, feeling disgusted and annoyed. He had not dared to use magic to make his travel easier at all. Not even once, even a simple, minor Light spell. Not if he wanted his whereabouts to be tracked by the Fuji Clan or his older brother, Syuusuke.

          It was night already, and Yuuta decided that he'd rest at a nearby inn. A hotel would have been more luxurious, true, but not for Fuji Yuuta, who, for some reason, usually avoided staying at hotels. The Fuji name was famous, after all, even in the western parts of the world. If he did stay in a hotel, especially one in Radrain, the news of his presence would immediately leak out and spread like wildfire to the ears of the Fuji Clan. And that was something Yuuta definitely did not want.

          Of course, there were other reasons Yuuta avoided hotels, which were about the same ones he avoided attending large ceremonies and functions. When people knew about his identity, they always referred to him as Fuji Syuusuke's younger brother, and the one they would always ask about first would be Syuusuke. He was getting really tired of it.

          Now, inns were a different matter altogether. Unless there were no hotels in the area, people usually didn't stay long in an inn. Those who had the money always preferred to stay in hotels, so those who stayed in inns were usually travelers merely passing through, or those that were not as rich. It was easy to stay anonymous in an inn, especially if you knew the correct type of inns to choose.

          Fuji Yuuta definitely knew the difference between a Night inn and a Day inn, and naturally, the one he chose was the former. Not that the latter would be an unreliable place to stay in, but the fact that most of the company of a Day inn would be wizards and witches, and Yuuta didn't really like to mix in the company of wand magic users. He was a Mage, after all. There were exceptions, of course, but Yuuta preferred to think of them as individuals rather than belonging to the wizarding society.

          As he entered the inn, a cheerful voice interrupted his thoughts. " Yuuta-kun, welcome!" exclaimed a pretty woman with short blonde hair, who was standing at the counter, speaking to a tall, orange-haired boy by the counter.

          " Yuki-san," Yuuta inclined his head towards the proprietress of the inn. Nodding his head at the orange-haired boy, he greeted politely, " Hello, Sengoku-san."

          Sengoku Kiyosumi grinned lazily at Yuuta. " It's been a long time, Yuuta," he replied cheerfully. " What brings you here?"

          Akutsu Yuki shook a finger reprovingly at Sengoku. " Yuuta-kun must be tired, Kiyosumi-chan," she scolded. " You can talk later."

          " It's quite alright, Yuki-san," Yuuta hurriedly said, looking a bit sheepish and nervous to be talking to Yuki, who seemed to him to be as young and pretty as the last time he saw her, despite the fact that he knew that Yuki was almost 33 yrs old already.

          Sengoku gestured to the stairs. " I'd better show you to your room then, Yuuta," he said, winking at Yuki. " Before Yuki bans me from having tonight's supper for neglecting your rest."

          " That's right, Kiyosumi-chan," Yuki agreed pleasantly. " Now take Yuuta to his room, please. I think he's about to faint with exhaustion."

          Yuuta turned slightly red at her words. " I'm alright, really," he assured quickly, even as Sengoku started to drag him along up the stairs to a room.

          " Sure you are, Yuuta," Sengoku smiled in false agreement. " You're just tired to the point that you're prepared to sleep standing if I kept you talking."

          " Hey!" Yuuta protested half-heartedly as Sengoku led him to his room. " Don't you look down on me like that! I can still last well for at least 3 more days!"

          " Yeah, yeah," Sengoku nodded insincerely. " Here you go," he unlocked the door of an empty room and practically tossed Yuuta inside. " Yuki's gonna make supper at 10 o'clock," he added, " So just go and bathe and take a nap. Don't worry, I'll come to wake you up when supper's ready!"

          With that, Sengoku left, humming as he walked down the corridors. Yuuta glared at the firmly shut door for a moment, and then relaxed, smiling sheepishly to himself.

          " Sengoku-san still hasn't changed," he murmured, as he took off his traveling cloak, and laid his staff against the wall, by the bed. For the first time since he started his journey, Yuuta felt safe and relaxed.

          " Well, Echizen Ryoma," he spoke aloud to the room determinedly. " I've finally arrived. Hopefully, aniki hasn't found you yet."

*******

          In a certain mansion somewhere a short distance away from Radrain, the resident vampire sneezed sharply.

          " Ah, Echizen," Inui spoke up. " Have you caught a cold?"

          " Iyada," Ryoma snapped back, rubbing at his nose absently.

          " Sssss….never heard of vampires being able to catch colds," Kaidoh muttered disbelievingly.

          " In any case," Inui continued calmly, " Do any of you want to try my newly developed Cold-Prevention Remedy? It's a 100 percent effective potion." He held up a bottle of fizzling liquid, which was currently a disgusting brownish-green.

          Ryoma and Kaidoh blanched.

          " Iyada!" Both refused vehemently.

~TBC~

Started: 13th January 2004 (11:16 am)

Ended: 19th January 2004 (12:19 pm)

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Author's Remarks:

I know it's a bit long-winded in the description parts, but well…it's one of my bad writing habits. Heh. ^^;;;

And I know this chapter is remarkably short. But no fear~ it'll definitely be longer in the next chapter!

Pls review! Suggestions are welcome as well!

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	4. Chapter 3

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Chapter 3

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Series: Harry Potter, Saiyuki, Count Cain, Tenipuri

Warnings: Slash, violence, probably some unintended OOC-ness and full spoilers for all series

Disclaimers: All characters in this story do not belong to me, only the plot of this fanfic does.

Author's Notes: I'm still NOT getting the hang of writing this fic. I thought I did, and my dear Fuji-muse just HAD to make all sorts of trouble for me in this chapter. Goodness knows how many times I've re-written this chapter, and I'm still not really satisfied with it. Bleh. Forgive me, everyone. I promise a better next chapter, because my Tezuka-muse has finally come back from his vacation. ====================================================================================

" So, basically summarizing the situation, the main reason Echizen's being stalked by Fuji Syuusuke has a 90% to do with Yuuta," Inui announced calmly as he scribbled in his notebook.

" Ehh…" Ryoma grinned maliciously at Fuji Yuuta's obvious discomfort. "Your older brother's really protective of you, huh? Dearest Yuuta-otouto," he added.

" Don't call me that!" Yuuta snapped, flushing slightly with annoyance and embarrassment. " And as for aniki looking for your whereabouts, why do you think I took all the trouble to come to warn you?"

Ryoma shrugged nonchalantly. " Well then," he flickered a glance at Sengoku Kiyosumi and Akutsu Jin. " What're you two doing here for?"

" Ch. As if I wanted to be here," Akutsu muttered, looking utterly bored.

" Maa, maa," Sengoku waved a hand casually while leaning against Akutsu. " Jin was worried about you having a powerful stalker from the Fuji Clan and I wanted to know more about Yuuta's famous older brother."

Closing his eyes in exasperation, Akutsu snorted, " When the hell did I say I was worried?" Eyeing Ryoma's heck-care expression, he said, " I just wanted to make sure that he wouldn't get too cocky after defeating me, and lose at the hands of simply anyone else just because he let his guard down."

" Aniki is not 'simply anyone else'," Yuuta scowled blackly at Akutsu. " He's really very strong. One of the best mages in the world, he is," he announced proudly.

" Really?" Akutsu deliberately made his tone skeptical, as his glinting gold eyes focused on the young mage for daring to argue with him. " From _your_ standards, I'd hardly believe it."

" Ssssssss…" Kaidoh's glare at Akutsu was just as cold as the one the latter gave Yuuta. " This coming from an exorcist who was defeated by a vampire doesn't sound convincing at all," he growled.

Turning his attention to the Viper of the House, Akutsu turned the menace in his glare up tenfold. Not to be beaten, Kaidoh maintained the staring match with equal ferocity. Any time, without warning, this could easily break into an extreme fight. Although judging from the room's occupants' expressions, they seemed more interested in the outcome than worried about it.

" _Stupefy._" Uttered a soft voice mildly.

The teacups on the long, rectangular and low wooden table, in front of Akutsu and Kaidoh respectively, burst into pieces as the Stunning Spell hit them, splashing the tea contents all over the floor and table.

Immensely startled, everyone looked up, effectively breaking up the staring match as well.

Remus Lupin calmly sat into the single sofa-chair at the head of the table. " _Reparo_," he murmured, as he waved his wand at the shattered pieces. As expected, the teacups became whole again. " _Scourgify_," he added to clean up the mess.

" I'm sure," Remus stated matter-of-factly, " That for now, it's more important for us to listen to what Yuuta has to say rather than indulging in play."

_/And that was currently my first and last warning./_ were the unsaid words that echoed loudly in the room.

There was a long pause as everyone in the room stared at Remus, each taking in his expression, and then the deceptively relaxed way he was holding his wand.

/_Remus is definitely in a bad mood today._/ Concluded _both _the residents and the visitors of the House.

" So…what are we going to do about the oncoming confrontation between aniki and Echizen?" Yuuta eyed Remus with some consternation and guilt. /_This is all my fault, and now, even Remus-san is so openly displeased./_

" Nothing." Remus answered dryly.

" Eh?!" Yuuta stared in amazement.

" We can't really do anything if Echizen refuses to tell us what happened," Inui agreed in a monotone.

Silence fell as everyone(except Ryoma) turned to look at Yuuta expectantly. Who blinked hard rapidly as he processed the information in his brain.

Leaping to his feet, Yuuta looked at Ryoma with a furious flush on his face. " Echizen!!" he yelled at the vampire, who turned his head immediately away to ignore the Mage. " You haven't told them yet?!"

Ryoma folded his arms. " Hmph."

" Ssssss…." Kaidoh looked ominously at the young mage. " Well?"

Yuuta looked both exasperated and indignant. " Echizen, you should be the one to tell them!" he accused. " You were the one that initiated the challenge to aniki at Isolan Plains the night after tomorrow!!"

" Iyada," Echizen opened one eye and smirked righteously at him. " You should be the one to tell the story, since you're the 'lead character' of this whole mess."

"……" Everyone eyed the vampire with mixed feelings. /_So you do know this has really become a big 'mess', huh? And if you say Yuuta is the 'lead character', aren't you considered to be the 'lead antagonist' as well? Incorrigble, as always. Drat._/

Yuuta collapsed back into the sofa and rested his forehead into his right palm. " Oh my…" he groaned. " This is certainly going to take a long time to explain…"

" Maa That's alright," Sengoku cheerfully waved a hand. " We have lots of time at the moment. Go at your own pace, Yuuta-kun."

" Feh. Things finally start to get explained, eh?" Akutsu snapped. " About time, as well."

" Not to say that this will be Ii Data too," Inui added almost absently as he started to scribble in his annoying notebook, ignoring all the pointed dirty looks from the others.

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" Hoi hoi, don't worry, Fuji!" a red-haired young man grinned at High Mage Fuji Syuusuke comfortingly. " We'll definitely save your otouto from the clutches of that vampire Echizen!"

" Eiji," Fuji smiled in response to the hyperactive young man's words. " I'm grateful that you and Oishi have agreed to help me. With the Golden Pair at my side, I can set my mind in peace even if they're holding Yuuta hostage while I battle Echizen Ryoma."

" Nya" Kikumaru Eiji waved a finger reprovingly. " We are best friends, Fuji! You don't have to be so formal! Right, Oishi?"

Oishi Syuuichirou nodded firmly at his partner's words. Looking worried, he added, " Don't tire yourself by worrying too much, Fuji. We'll definitely help you to save your brother, so you just need to focus your mind on the oncoming battle."

Fuji smiled at Oishi's kind words. " I don't think Echizen will allow any harm to come to Yuuta," he mused. " Since I'm quite sure he's trying to corrupt Yuuta against us instead, he'd have to obtain his trust first."

" How on earth did your brother get involved with a vampire, anyway?" Eiji tapped a finger against his lip thoughtfully. " And why would your brother believe in a vampire? We all know they're nothing but bad news."

" Eiji!" Oishi admonished him immediately. " You shouldn't talk about Fuji's brother like that!"

" It's alright, Oishi," Fuji shook his head. " Eiji's right. But I believe that Yuuta must have been bewitched and fallen into the vampire's trap. Yuuta, he's got potential, but he's still too young. That's why…" Fuji trailed off somewhat sadly.

" Fuji…" Eiji looked downcast at his friend's expression. " I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

Maintaining his ever-present smile, Fuji shook his head. " Never mind," he said. " It's not your fault that Yuuta refused to listen to me and left to warn the vampire instead."

" The most important thing now is to reach the place of meeting as soon as possible," Oishi added, smiling comfortingly at both of them. " Let us finish our dinner before the food gets cold."

Knowing that what Oishi said made sense, Fuji smiled politely at the young waitress who had a faint blush on her cheeks as she filled his wine glass again, before turning back to his dinner and adding heaps of wasabi onto it.

/ _2 days from now, Echizen Ryoma, and we will meet at Isolan Plains. And you will pay for messing with a Fuji, especially with Yuuta!/_

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"…And that's why aniki feels that Echizen has bewitched me," Yuuta sighed and grumbled. " Plus, he wouldn't listen when I tried to explain."

Silence reigned once more as Yuuta suddenly realized the error in his choice of words.

" Ha! Ha! Ha!" Akutsu threw his head back and unhesitatingly roared his amusement.

" Ahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!" Sengoku's following explosive laughter filled the room, over-riding Yuuta's red-faced splutters.

Inui felt his lips curve involuntarily and even Kaidoh looked amused. Remus twitched slightly with controlled laughter, covering his smile discreetly with his hand like a gentleman.

Needless to say, the only person other than Yuuta in the room that was not amused was Ryoma, who was now glaring stonily into empty space with his golden almond-eyes.

" Bewitched! Bewitched, eh?" Sengoku snickered madly as he leaned against Akutsu for support. " Echizen bewitch Yuuta? Ahahahahahaha!"

" Be quiet," Ryoma growled ominously.

" Bewitch, bewitched!!!" Sengoku continued to chortle. " Echizen, did you bed Yuuta as well after bewitching him? Or did you merely give him a rooooooooooomantic kiss?"

Open grins, snickers and smirks erupted immediately at Sengoku's question. The resident vampire glared warningly and menacingly at the occupants. By now, a gleam of silver had started to flash in his eyes.

Yuuta scowled ferociously, flushing so furiously, his face was a ripe tomato. " I meant," he corrected hastily, " That Aniki thinks that Echizen has hypnotized me without me realizing it."

" You must have spent too much company with those Mages," Akutsu mocked. " To actually make this mistake."

" Yuuta-kun," Sengoku agreed, his voice weak with laughter. " We all know how Echizen hates to be said to 'bewitch' anybody with the vampirism thrall."

Kaidoh closed his eyes with a supporting hiss to Sengoku's words. " It's an insult to Echizen," Inui added, grinning knowingly at Ryoma, whose eye-color had now started to gleam more clearly with a shade of moonlight-silver.

" It's ok, Yuuta," Remus spoke comfortingly to the now-mortified young mage. " Ryoma won't take this to heart. It's not your fault you said the wrong word, his actions brought it upon himself." The werewolf seemed to be in a better mood now, at Ryoma's expense.

The sulking vampire looked at Yuuta with reluctant forgiving. " Never. Ever. Repeat. This. Mistake. Again." he enunciated each word slowly, to which Yuuta nodded fervently.

" Well," Remus chuckled audibly as a sudden thought struck him. " At least Yuuta didn't say Ryoma tried to 'seduce' him."

This time, nobody except Ryoma bothered to hold in their amusement. Even Yuuta joined in the raucous laughter at Remus's words.

And all Ryoma could do was to sulk and be disagreeable throughout the whole night's discussion.

TBC

Started: Around mid-March? ;

Ended: 24th June 2004

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Author's Remarks:

Okay, I know the timeline's getting a bit confused, and that's due to the fact that I've deliberately left out some things in this chapter that will be explained in the next… ;;;

This isn't really a very elaborate chapter, it's more of a chapter to show the distinctive traits of the characters themselves, and of course, a little of the reason(s) as to why Fuji is 'stalking' Ryoma.

Read and review, please. Questions, comments are very welcomed.

Hints for next chapter:

1. In which we find out more about why Oishi and Eiji are now involved.

2. In which we find out why the hell Fuji is stalking Ryoma.

3. In which we find out how are Cain and Riff involved in this story. (As so many have asked.)

4.In which we find out about Love, Jealousy and Fights in this horribly twisted plot. .;;;

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